“…and all who have separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God…” Nehemiah 10:28
The scene plays out like a typical Disney teen drama. The young daughter wants to go to the cool party to hang out with the cool kids and do whatever the cool kids do, but the mean ol’ mom says no. In oblivious hormonal induced delirium to what lies at the party, the daughter pushes the issue until the mom delivers the line that is apparently built into parents when the birth certificate is signed…if all of your friends jumped off a cliff would you jump too? Even as facetious as it sounds, it’s actually a very relevant question. In fact, it’s not only relevant in our youth, but all the way to the grave. Will you dance to the beat of your own drum or will you simply follow the “in” crowd? Will you follow the appealing trail of the world or will you instead seek the lesser travelled path of truth and righteousness? And folks, when it comes to following God, the path you choose is of utmost importance. The simple fact is that pure truth cannot be mixed with lies. Godly Honor cannot coexist with disrespect. Sin cannot live in the presence of purity. You see, the believer and follower of Jesus Christ was separated when they called upon Him as their Savior, and they are called to be separated after, committing exclusively to the commands and laws of His Holy Word.
In Nehemiah 10 we see the people, in great conviction of their sin against God, experience a great revival in reaction to God’s Word. Even to the point that they decide to sign a physical covenant with God to do what it says. “Cutting” a covenant in the Old Testament was a big deal. An animal needed to die in order to produce the vellum upon which the covenant was written, hence the “cutting” of a covenant. Even making the covenant paper was a display of sacrifice and sin and how one affects the other. And making an O.T. covenant always cost both parties something. As the Israelites signed their covenant, part of it was them pledging to separate themselves from the world. They agreed to separate themselves in purity from the sin that surrounded them. Folks, even though the book of Nehemiah was written over 2,450 years ago, the message could not be more relevant to Christ-followers today. Do you seek to follow Christ and His statutes, or do you want to partake of the world? Do you want to walk with Jesus or hang with the cool kids of the world, carousing, sewing discord, and doing whatever feels good in the moment? You see, no matter what the world or your own sin-seeking conscious tells you…you can’t have both. You must be separated unto Christ.
Today, I challenge you to do just that. Engage in a daily study of Christ’s life through God’s Word and then commit to follow His example. In doing this you will automatically be separated from the world. In your commitment to Christ and His Words you will have signed a covenant and it will cost you something. It will cost you fleshly pleasure. It will cost you comfort, convenience, and friends that choose to live in them. Today, choose to live in the purity of Christ. Refuse to let the darkness of this world taint the light of Christ you carry. And as you do, your separation will be a light that shines brightly. A light that draws empty souls to the fullness of Jesus Christ.
“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” 1 John 2:15-17
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